An Online Tool for Estimating Return-on-investment for Water Recycling at Nurseries

Water availability, quality, and management, particularly under climate change constraints and fierce competition for water resources, are challenging the sustainability of intensively irrigated nursery crops. We created an online tool to estimate costs and benefits of a water recycling investment at a commercial nursery, given data on the operation input by the user. The online tool returns a “regulatory risk score” based on the user’s drought and pollution risk. Then, using a partial budget approach, it returns net present value of the investment, upfront capital cost, and expected change in annual cash flow. The present article seeks to cross-validate this computer model with results reported in the case study literature. We aggregated data on 38 nurseries and greenhouses profiled in five published studies into a meta study dataset. These data validated the computer tool’s assumptions about the relationship of operation size to total capital cost. Separate simulations on the profitability effects of varying public water rates and price premia due to green marketing corroborated the findings of earlier studies. A major finding of the simulation analysis not previously emphasized in the literature is that capital cost and profit vary significantly with the precise method that is used to size the recapture pond. A “minimalist” approach to this decision is likely to be the most cost-effective, but growers should also keep stormwater runoff and other issues of environmental best practices in mind.

Reinventing Smart Water Management System through ICT and IoT Driven Solution for Smart Cities

Purpose: Worldwide water scarcity is one of the major problems to deal with. Smart Cities also faces this challenging problem due to its ever-increasing population and limited sources of natural water. Additionally, careless usage of water and large water wastage has made the water issues as a serious concern. Today Smart Cities are using advanced technical solutions to deal with various problems, to deal with water shortage problems, Smart Cities uses Smart Water Management System, an intelligent system which distributes and control existing water supply on need basis, and also it facilitates recycling of water for again using for specific activities. In this paper I have provided the overview of Smart Water Management System, its features, and functionalities. I also reviewed available literature on Water Management Systems for Smart Cities and considering the latest tools and technologies and understanding some of the limitations of existing Smart Water Management Systems, I proposed an easy to develop, operate and maintain Smart Water Management Solution called as "iWMS". The proposed conceptual framework of iWMS is modular and is based on secure Blockchain based Application Layer. The iWMS solution supports entire water management and recycling functioning cycle and can easily integrate with other services of Smart Cities. The evaluation of iWMS framework provided very encouraging results. It is revealed that iWMS meets the stated objectives of water savings through automated operation and also through controlled water recycling. Unlike other Smart Water Management Systems, iWMS also carefully complies the cybersecurity requirements. Based on evaluation, the advantages, and limitations of iWMS are also stated in this paper. Finally, I have also specified the future plans about iWMS to undertake its full-fledged implementation and addressing of its limitations. Design/Methodology/Approach: Primary Data collection through Interviews and Questionnaire responses from Industry Professionals, SMEs, and Researchers working on development, operation, and maintenance of Water Management Systems in Smart Cities and secondary data collected through detailed review of existing literature containing Journal Papers, Conference Papers, and Whitepapers available on Water Management Solutions for Smart Cities, are used to derive the new findings and results presented in this research paper. Findings/Result: Smart Water Management System not only efficiently handles water distribution across Smart Cities but also plays an active role in Water Recycling, Water Control and Monitoring, Estimation of the peak water requirements, and detection of water leakage if any. Smart Water Management System is an essential system in Smart Cities and is the backbone behind Smart Water Service of Smart Cities. Originality/Value: The Information presented in this paper is original and genuine and completely based on own data analysis and findings. It is derived from a systematic literature review of existing research papers and whitepapers on Smart Water Management System and interactions carried out with industry professionals, SMEs, and Researchers working on Water Management Solutions. Paper Type: Technology oriented Research

Enhancement of a Spent Irrigation Water Recycling Process: A Case Study in a Food Business

Food operations use vast amounts of water. To reduce utility costs as well as concerns regarding water depletion in ecosystems, food businesses usually try to reuse their water. However, this often needs a recycling process to ensure the water is of good quality and safe to reuse in a food environment. This paper presents a case study of a grower of beansprouts and other varieties of sprouted seeds that uses six million litres of water weekly. Approximately 60% of their spent irrigation water is recycled using both 50 µm and 20 µm drum filtration. In addition, chlorine dioxide is used as part of the recycling process as a disinfectant. Our analysis demonstrated that the size of suspended solid particles in over 90% of the cumulative sample tested was smaller than the current 20 µm filter in place, highlighting that the existing system was ineffective. We, then, explored options to enhance the water recycling system of the company. After careful analysis, it was proposed to install a membrane-filtration system with ultraviolet technology to increase the finest level of filtration from the existing 20 µm to 0.45 µm absolute and sterilize any remaining bacteria. This not only improved water quality, but also allowed for the removal of chemicals from the recycling system, delivering both financial and technical improvements.

Action Plan for Urban Waste Water Recycling in Lucknow

Urban waste water generation per day in Lucknow city is 84 MLD and the treatment capacity of this urban waste water is 446 MLD and 445 MLD urban waste water flows in Gomti River and 339 MLD urban waste water partially treated. Some waste water is recycled by Water treatment plant which are treating 560 MLD urban waste water and remaining are polluted to ground and as well as gomti river.to achieve 100% recycling and treatment we need a action plan for it. The formation of Lucknow municipal board took place in 1882, while as the water supply demand is fulfilled by tube wells, river Gomti, Sharda Sahayak feeder canal, aquifers, and so on, the maximum source of intake is Gomti which is geographically distinguished as Cis and Trans Gomti. The Cis Gomti side is comparatively lower than the area on Trans Gomti side. Since the city is located on alluvial aquifers of Indo-Gangetic plain, where due to easy accessibility, private tube well construction activity is going on unchecked, especially in residential colonies and multi-storeyed buildings, and this is the reason why the private tube wells/borings have almost mushroomed in this capital city. This has led to heavy pumpage/continuous abstraction of groundwater resources, widespread depletion of aquifers and as a result, going down of groundwater levels drastically to almost unsustainable levels, from where it seems very difficult that the depleted conditions of ground water could ever improve (6). The water supply network depends on sources like tube wells, river Gomti and the Sharda Sahayak feeder canal. The distribution of water supply has a very vast network and it is reported to be 2884 km. The rate of water supply is assumed to be 150 LPCD and water demand is calculated accordingly, The availability of water, as reported by Jawaharlal Nehru national urban and rural mission (JNNURM) on November 2016, was 619 MLD from various sources, however, it keeps fluctuating as the city is more vulnerable to migration from other parts of state. Keywords: urban waste water, waste water recycling, reuse of waste water, sewage treatment plant